Vacuum shield for containers



Feb. 29, 1944. kows 2,343,197

VACUUM SHIELD FOR CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 15, 1940 -Pri0r 'Ari t/ q :1 fla o eus FMa hwh Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNKT ED STATES EATENT OFFICE 2,343,197 vacuum SHIELD FOR CONTAINERS Thaddeus F. Makowski, Cicero, 111.

Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,016

,1 Claim.

This invention relates to containers adapted to be evacuated and having shields therein covering, the Vacuum hole to eliminate extrusion of the contentsof the can through the hole during the evacuation process.

More specifically, the invention relates to elongated metal shields for the vacuum ports of metal cans, which shields are loosely fitted into or affixed to an inner wall of the can for surrounding the port to define an elongated passageway and trap in the can communicating with the interior thereof at points spaced widely from the port.

The hermetic sealing of evacuated packages such as cans and the like is quite difiicult, because i the package must contain at least a small opening for connection with a source of suction, and this opening must be immediately sealed before the suction connection is broken in order that air will not enter the evacuated package. The contents of the package frequently clog up the opening thus slowing up or stopping the evacuation process. When the package assumes the form of a metal can, the opening therein is usually sealed with a dab of solder immediately after the can is evacuated and extrusion of material from the interior of the can through the opening presents a serious problem since the solder will not stick to the can and will not seal the opening;

It has been proposed to surround the opening or vacuum port of a metal can with a-stamped metal rosette disposed in the can around the vacuumport and held in position by a dab of solder. These rosettes are in the form of concave circular buttons or cups having radial flutes stamped therein to provide passages joining the interior of the can with the vacuum port. However these rosettes are buried in the contents of the can and frequently only a small portion of the can can beevacuated because the drawing of air out of the vacuum port will cause the contents of the can to tightly surround the rosettes thus forming a seal and preventing the withdrawal of air from remote portions of the can.

The passageways provided by the flutes inthe rosettes frequently receive materials in the can therethrough during the evacuation process so that these materials not only fill up the rosettes but also extrude through the vacuum ports.

Therefore, the heretofore proposed rosette type shields have not been satisfactory.

The present invention now provides an elongated slide (Jrshield adapted to be mounted ina the vacuum port to define an elongated localized passageway communicating with the interior of the can at widely spaced points.

The shields of this invention are preferably mounted vertically in a metal can and extend from the top to the bottom of the can along a side Wall of the can. An elongated vertical localized passageway is thus formed in the can and has full communication with the top and bottom of the can. The shield surrounds the vacuum port, and any solid or liquid material entering the passageway from the contents of the can will fall by gravity to the bottom of the passageway instead of being extruded out of the vacuum port. The elongated shields of this invention therefore provide'traps protecting the vacuum port from contact with the contents of the can. At the same time, however, the shields are in communication with the interior of the can and air can be withdrawn from the can in a more rapid manner than was heretofore possible Without extrusion of liquids or solids from the can. The shields of this invention make possible the creation of higher vacuum inside of containers and evacuated containers can be hermetically sealed without difficulty.

The invention will hereinafter be specifically described in connection with metal cans for boneless ham of the type commonly known as Polish ham. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to such use and has wide application in the art.

It is an object of the invention to provide rigid elongated shields for the vacuum ports of packages adapted to be hermetically sealed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elongated metal shield adapted to form a localized passageway in a metal can to protect a vacuum port in the can from contact with the contents of the can.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a metal strip having solid side walls connected by a base to hold the base in spaced relation from the side wall of a metal can and bridge a vacuum port in the can to protect the port.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a metal vacuum shield for a ham container to protect the vacuum port of the container from ham juices and the like while, at the same time, presenting an unrestricted air passageway to the vacuum port.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a metal can having a vacuum port in a side wall thereof with an elongated vertically package tobe' evacuated and surround or cover 5 disposed shield surrounding the port and defining a localized air passageway communicating with the top of the can.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which discloses the prior art rosette type shields and several em bodiments of the improved vacuum shields of this invention.

On the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of a metal can containing a ham and equipped with a rosette to protect the vacuum port in the side wall of the can.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal crossthe interior of the can.

2,343,19? A xi cult to evacuate the can and even more diflicult to obtain a hermetic seal because ham juices and the like will extrude through the hole thereby making it impossible to obtain a good solder joint.

It has been the practice to attempt to protect the vacuum port I6 by means of a rosette 20 (Figures 1 to 4) mounted in the can around the hole IS. The rosette 20 was cup-shaped to provide a localized circular recess in the interior of the can and flutes 2! were stamped around the periphery of the rosette to join the recess with The rosette was held in position by a dab of solder 22.

ure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of an open ham can equipped with both the prior art rosette type shield and the elongated shield or slide of this invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary inside elevational view taken along the line VV of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an inside fragmentary elevational view taken through a ham can equipped with a modified shield according to this invention,

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIV'II of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken through a ham can having a modified vacuum port shield arrangement according to this invention.

Figure 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line IX IX of Figure 8-.

As shown on the drawing:

In Figures 1 to .7 inclusive the reference numeral l0 designates generally a metal container for a boneless ham H. The metal container II) has a vertical side wall ll. shaped in the general configuration of a ham as shown in Figure 3. A fiat bottom I2 is provided for the can and is joined with the side wall through a sealed crimped seam l3 (Figure 4). The top of the container is closed with a cover 14 seated in the open top of the side wall H and sealed in position by means of a crinrped or rolled seam l5 (Figure 1).

The side wall II of the container ill has a small hole or port It therethrough in the'center of a circular bead I'l embossed on the wall. 1

The bead l1 defines a pit around the port 16 for receiving solder to seal the port after the evacuation process. 1

While these rosettes afforded some protection for the vacuum hole Hi, the circular recess provided thereby was frequently sealed from the ,interior of the can by th ham H being pressed The boneless haml-l is shaped to the can size by being pressed in the canbefore the cover J4 is mounted in position. Pressures'of the order of 250 lbs. areused to force the ham into the can. 4 v

After the ham is pressed inposition in the can, the top of the ham is partiall covered with gelatin, flavoring materials and the like. The cover M is then mounted in the open topof the can as shown in Figure 1 and rolled in position as shown at 15. The vacuum port I6 is next connected with a source of suctionand attempt made to evacuate the interior. of the can. After the can is evacuated the pit provided by the bead I around the opening leis filled with solder t. hermetically seal the can.

The hermetically sealed cooker to cook the ham. I

Due to the fact that the ham H surrounds the hole IS on the inside of the can, it is quite diffi around the entire periphery of the rosette. As a result, air would only be withdrawn from the localized recess and the main interior of the can would not be evacuated. In addition, the flutes 2| would allow the passage of ham juices, fats and the like into the recess to substantially fill the same as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The withdrawal of air through the vacuum port l6 would result in an extrusion of the ham materials asshown at 23 in Figure 2. This would, of course, prevent a good hermetic seal.

The vacuum shields of this invention are readil y adapted for use in cans already equipped with rosettes 20 as shown in Figures 3 to 5. However, it is obvious that the shields of this invention can totally replace the rosettes. f

,As shown in Figures 3 to 5, an elongated metal strip 25 is inserted in the can I!) around the rosett 20 and extends from the bottom E2 of the can to about /8" beneath the top H of the can. As indicated in Figure 4, this strip 25 can be slid into position after the ham H is pressed in the can. The strip 25 has a corrugated back wall 26 and solid side walls or legs 21 contact: ing the side wall ll of th can along their entire length. The strip 25 is sufficiently wide-so that the legs will straddle the rosette 20. As indicated in Figure 5, the strip 25 can be soldered inthe can bya dab of solder 28 join illg one leg 21 with the side wall H of the, can. The strip 25 is obviously soldered in position be fore the ham is pressed into the can; Alternatively, as explained above, the strip can be slid into position after the barn is pressed into the can as indicated in Figure 4. I The elongated metal strip 25 provides a vertical localized passageway 29 communicating with the top portion of the can at its top end. Since the strip is only united with the can by means of a dab of solder such as 28 or by meansof the ham l-I pressing thereagainst, as indicated in Fig ure 4, the entire length of the passageway 29 has some communication with the interior of the can. Likewise the bottom of the passageway communicates with the interior of the can, because an air-tight seal .is neither provided at thebottom of the passageway nor along the sides of the passageway. f l 1 fThe localized passageway 29 therefore has free communication with the top po'rtionof the closed can and restricted communication with the bottom portion of the can as well as along the main body portion of the can as explained above. When the vacuum hole lfiis connected with a source of suction, air. will readily flow into the passage way 29 through the open topthereof as wellas along .the 'sides and bcittomTthereof, However,

the points of entry of the air into the passageway 29 are always remote from the opening l6 so that any liquids or solids entering the passageway will drop by gravity to the bottom thereof and will not reach the opening I 6.

As a result, the elongated shields or strips 25 have made possible a more rapid evacuation of ham containers than was ever heretofore attained. At the same time, the evacuation is more complete, and vacuums up to 29" are obtained when, with the use of the rosettes alone, it was only heretofore possible to obtain a vacuum of Since any juices or solid materials entering the passageway 29 cannot reach the vacuum port l 6, the pit around the port provided by the bead ll is not contaminated, and the solder joint efliciently seals the container.

If the containers are not already equipped with rosettes such as 20, the shields of this invention can be narrower than the shields 25 as shown in Figures 3 to 5, because the same do not need to straddle an inserted rosette. As shOWn in Figures 6 and 7, therefore, a channel-shaped narrow gauge strip 30 is provided to bridge the vacuum port It on the inside of the container. This strip 30 extends vertically from the bottom l2 of the can to within about of the top of the can. It consists of a fiat, solid back wall 3! and solid side legs 32. The strip 30 can be held in position by means of a dab of solder 33. It provides a localized open topped elongated passageway 34. The back wall 3| is not corrugated as is the back wall 26 of the strip 25, since it is not as wide as the back wall 26 and does not need to be rigidified by corrugations.

In Figures 8 and 9 a modified container Ilia is provided. This container is substantially identical with the container In described in Figures 1 to '7, but the side wall Ila thereof has an outturned vertical flute 40 pressed thereon. The vacuum hole Ilia is formed through the flute as.

According to this invention, a flat metal strip 4| is mounted in the container Illa and bridges the recess provided by the flute 40. A dab of solder 42 can hold the plate 4| in position over the flute 40. The plate 4| as shown in Figure 8, extends from the bottom 12a of the container into closely spaced relation with the top of the container. A localized passageway 43 is thus provided in the container. The air in the main interior of the can communicates with this localized passageway and can be rapidly withdrawn from the interior of the can by connecting the port Ilia to a source of suction. The plate 4i prevents extrusion of ham juices or other extraneous matter through the port.

The elongated shields of this invention may assume many forms. For example, semi-cylindrical shields can be used in place of the U-shaped or channel shaped shields 25 and 30. Likewise a V-shaped strip could be used. As indicated in Figures 8 and 9, flat plates can be used by embossing a flute on the container itself.

From the above descriptions, it should be understood that this invention now provides an elongated shield for evacuated hermetically sealed packages to protect the vacuum port of the package from contact with extraneous matter. The shields of this invention form localized recesses extending vertically from the bottom of the container into closely spaced relation from the top of the container. The localized recesses act as traps for solids or liquids entering therein and prevent contact of these materials with the vacuum ports.

The vacuum shields of this invention make possible a more rapid evacuation of containers, as well as insure the formation of tight hermetic seals. The cans can be evacuated to a higher degree than was heretofore possible. The more highly evacuated container can thus be dipped in boiling water for a longer period of time, thereby insuring a thorough cooking of the contents of the container.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

I elaim as my invention:

In combination with a metal can having a vacuum port adapted to be hermetically sealed, a rigid metal strip extending from the top to the bottom of the can and having legs contacting the can on each side of said port, together with a corrugated back wall for engaging contents of the can, said strip defining with the adjacent wall of the can an elongated open topped passageway throughout the body of the can and communicating with the interior of the can only at points widely spaced from the Vacuum port whereby said port is protected from the contents of the can.

THADDEUS F. MAKOWSKI. 

